Adjustable rail-chair.



A. G. LIEBMANN. ADJUSTABLE RAIL CHAIR. APPLICATION FILED uwhzv, 191s.

' Patented Jan.26,1915.

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STATES FATENT OFFTOE.

AUGUST G. LIEBIVIANN, OF BUTTE, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR TO VIGNOLES RAIL CHAIR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAW'ARE.

ADJUSTABLE RAIL-CHAIR.

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Application filed August 27, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUeUsT G. LIEBMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Butte, in the county of Silverbow and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Rail-Chairs, of which the following is a specification. W

This invention relates to railway track appliances and particularly to rail chairs.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a rail chair particularly designed for the minimum requirements of superelevation of rails on curves. The superelevation of rails upon curves depends upon the degree of curvature as well as the scheduled speed of trains. lVith a long easy swinging curve having a minimum degree of curvature a minimum degree of superelevation is required. The rail chair forming the subject of the present application is so con structed as to provide for this minimum degree of permanent superelevation by the use of permanent shims.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the shims may be gripped and kept from slipping out of the chair and from under the rail.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair designed for the superelevation of curves and adapted to be used with the chair illustrated and described in my pending applications, Serial No. 787,004 filed August 27th, 1913 and Serial No. 787,006, filed August 27th, 1913, to thus provide for a gradual superelevation of the rail as the degree of curvature increases.

A further object is to provide a rail chair of this character particularly adapted for light curves and for the approaches or spirals between the tangent proper and the curve proper.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rail chair of this character so constructed that it will afford a firm-bearing for the rail and securely hold the rail against lateral or vertical thrust and so formed that it will have a firm and extended bearing upon the ties.

A still further object of theinvention is to provide a chair adapted for superelevation of curves of a very simple character readily made from a common structural form and provided with means whereby the rail may be readily adjusted laterally for Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1915.

Serial No. 787,010.

gage and elevated so as to secure proper superelevation.

Still another object is the provision of a rail chair of the character stated so constructed that the rail may be readily shifted laterally to bring to the proper gage and curvature by a track walker without the necessity of the services of a section gang with an array of tools and where the rail may be readily raised to bring it to the proper superelevation.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a tie and rail with the improved rail chair thereon; Fig. 2 is an end elevation partly in section of the tie, rail and rail chair; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the rail braces; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the rail brace clamps.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to inthe following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to these drawings A designates a tie and B a rail. The tie may be of wood or any other suitable material and the rail is illustrated of a standard form. The improved chair comprises a base plate 2 having preferably a width equal to the tie so as to provide an extended bearing surface, this base plate being held upon the tie by means of screw spikes 3 of any standard form passing through perforations formed in the corners of the base plate 2. The base plate 2 may be cast or rolled or otherwise formed and is provided with the upwardly projecting parallel abutments A formed integral with the base plate. Each of these abutments is formed with an inverted T-shaped slot designated 5, the base or lower wall ofv the horizontal portion of this slot being level with the upper face of he base plate 2.

Disposed on each side of the rail B are the rail braces 6. Each brace at its upper end projects under the head of the rail and the lower end 7 of each brace rests upon the base of the rail. The base of each rail brace is laterally extended as at 8, these lateral extensions being longitudinally slotted as at 9.

Disposed within each of the T-shaped slots 5 and resting upon the base plate 2 is a clamping member 11 illustrated most clearly in Fig. 5, this clamping member having a base 12 which rests upon the base plate and a vertically extending web 13 which extends through the slot 9 of the. extension 8 of the corresponding rail brace. The clamping member it will be seen is T-shaped in cross section and is adapted to fit snugly within the T-shaped slot 5 of the corresponding abutment 4 so that the clamping member cannot rise relative to the abutment but can shift laterally relative thereto. The inner end of each clamping member is upwardly and inwardly beveled as at 14, the bevel or inclination of this inner end corresponding to the inclination of the outer face of the corresponding rail brace so as to fit snugly thereagainst. Intermediate its ends the clamping member 11 is formed with a transversely extending slot 15 through which passes a wedge or key 16 as illustrated clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. The inner face of each wedging member 16 is fiat and bears against the corresponding abutment 4, while the outer face of each wedging member is inclined and bears against the end wall of the corresponding slot 15. It will therefore be seen that as the wedging members are forced home they will act to force the clamping members 11 inward against the rail braces.

It will be obvious now that when it is desired to adjust the rail outwardly out of a median line it is only necessary to drive out one of the wedges 16 and then drive the other wedge inwardly, whereupon the rail will be forced over until the proper lateral adjustment has been secured. The wedges 16 may be held in adjusted position by means of cotter pins 17 adapted to pass through anyone of a plurality of perforations in the wedging members. Where it is desired to elevate the rail a shim 18 is adapted to be inserted between the base plate and the base of the rail as illustrated clearly in Fig. 2. This shim is of such width that it abuts at its ends against the inner ends of the clamping members so that as these inner ends of the clamping members are forced inward they will bite into the shim and prevent any longitudinal or l%teral movement of the shim. This funct on is particularly desirable in the case of rail chairs intended for minimum superelevation of rails on curves as in this case the shims are permanent and not intended to be driven out and driven in as circumstances may require.

It will be obvious that by forcing out the wedges the engagement of the clamping members 11 with the rail braces may be released and that then shimming to any desired extent may be placed beneath the rail. When the rail is thus vertically adjusted the wedges are driven home again forcing the clamping members inward against the rail braces and against the ends of the shims as previously explained. Inasmuch as the clamping members cannot rise because of their interlocking engagement with the abutments it is impossible for the rail to rise after the wedging members are driven home and it is equally impossible for the rail to shift laterally. By using wedges as a means of adjusting the rail laterally, it is possible to laterally shift the rail by loosening one of the wedges and driving the other home with a sledge hammer. This permits a section hand to adjust the rail to gage and eliminates the necessity of a section gang with an array of tools so adjusting the rail. It will be obvious that this is particularly necessary on curves where the lateral and vertical adjustment of the rail must be very carefully watched to avoid the violent lurching of a train, in the interim between curves and tangents.

This particular form of rail chair is peculiarly adapted for use in the North Central and Northwestern States region. The general nature of this part of the country is swampy in the lake region, but east of the mountains in the high prairies and foot hills the grade increases and the curvature of the track increases. This particular form of chair permits of a slight superelevation of the rail by using permanent shims beneath the rail. The chair is designed to meet all conditions of climate in this region, as well as uneven subgrade and ballast and provides for carrying high speed traffic with safety. The chair is very simply made, very strong, provides for a buttressing of the head of the rail against tipping stress and the rail may be very readily adjusted.

It will be noted that the adjustment of the rail may be secured without the necessity of adjusting or removing the primary fastenings 3 and that thus the life of the ties will be very greatly increased.

The improved chair conforms to the requirements laid down in the official report of the Block Signal and Train Control Board of the Interstate Commerce Commission dated June 19, 1912, in that provision is made for fully resisting the over-turning movement of the rail due to the wheel flange pressure against the head of the rail and also fully supports the rail against the vertical loads and resists direct horizontal thrusts and any tendency of the track to move laterally and longitudinally. It further permits of blocking up or shimming and of a superelevation of rails upon curves.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A rail chair including a bed-plate having a seat adapted to receive a rail, an abutment extending upwardly from the bedplate, a rail brace, a rail clamping member extending transversely through and having interlocking engagement with the abutment, whereby said clamping member is held from vertical movement, and means extending transversely through the clamping member and cooperating with the abutment for adjusting said clamping member and rail brace laterally to shift the rail with respect to its seat.

2. The combination with a rail, a bed plate, and a shim disposed beneath the rail, of clamping members supported upon the bed plate for lateral adjustment but held from vertical movement, and means for adjusting said clamping members laterally to engage the shim.

3. A rail chair including a bed plate, downwardly and outwardly inclined rail braces, clamping member supported upon the bed plate for lateral adjustment but held from vertical movement, said clamping members having inclined ends bearing against the inclined faces of the rail braces, and means for laterally adjusting the clamping members.

4'. A. rail chair including a bed plate, upwardly extending abutments at each end of the bed plate, said abutments being slotted, laterally extending clamping members laterally adjustable through said slots but fitting the latter to prevent vertical movement of the clamping members, and means for laterally adjusting the clamping members and holding them in their adjusted positions.

5. A rail chair including a bed plate having upstanding abutments at opposite ends, said abutments being slotted, downwardly and outwardly inclined rail braces disposed between the abutments, clamping members passing through the slots of said abutments and having their inner ends inclined to fit against the outer faces of the rail braces, and means coacting with the abutments for wedging said clamping members laterally against the rail braces.

6. A rail chair including a bed plate having upstanding abutments at opposite ends, each of said abutments being formed with an inverted T-shaped slot, rail braces disposed between the abutments and having downwardly and outwardly inclined outer faces, T-shaped clamping members disposed within the slots of the abutments and laterally movable therein, the inner ends of the clamping members being inclined to fit against the rail braces, and wedges passing through said clamping members and engaging said abutments, wherebv the clamping members may be shifted laterally.

7. A rail chair comprising a bed plate having upstanding abutments at each end extending parallel to the length of the rail, each of said abutments being formed with an inverted T-shaped slot the bottom of the slot being flush with the upper face of the bed plate, rail braces disposed between the abutments and having downwardly and outwardly inclined outer faces, inverted T- shaped clamping members disposed each in the slot of the corresponding abutment and held from elevation by said slot, the base of each clamping member being disposed upon the bed-plate, the end of each clamping member being inclined to fit against the corresponding rail brace, and wedges one for each clamping member extending therethrough and bearing against the inner face of each abutment.

8. A rail chair comprising a bed plate having upstanding parallel abutments thereon, each of said abutments being formed with an inverted T-shaped slot, rail braces having outwardly and downwardly inclined outer faces adapted to be disposed against the rail and having lateral extensions, the extension of each rail brace being longitudinally slotted, inverted T-shaped clampng members disposed in the slot of each abutment, the horizontal web of each clamping member resting upon the bed plate and the vertical web extending upward through the slot in the corresponding rail brace extension, the inner end of each clamping member being downwardly and outwardly inclined, the vertical web of each clamping member being longitudinally slotted, and wedges disposed within the slot of each clamping member and engaging against the inner face of the corresponding abutment.

9. The combination with a rail, of a rail chair comprising a bed plate having upstanding abutments extending parallel to the rail, each abutment being formed with an inverted T-shaped slot, a shim disposed beneath the rail and resting upon the bed plate, rail braces disposed one on each side of the rail having downwardly and outwardly inclined faces, inverted T-shaped clamping members disposed one in the slot of each abutment, the base of the clamping member resting upon the upper face of the bed plate, the vertical web of each clamping member being inclined at its end to fit against the rail brace and being slotted, and wedges passing through the slots of said clamping members and bearing against the inner faces of the abutments, whereby the clamping members may be forced inwardly against the rail braces and against said shim.

10. The combination with a rail, of a chair comprising a bed plate having upstanding abutments at each end, each abutment being formed with an inverted T- shaped slot, rail braces disposed on opposite sides of the rail each having an outwardly and downwardly inclined outer face, each rail brace having a lateral horizontally disposed extension longitudinally slotted, a

' bers and bearing against the inner faces of the abutments, whereby the clamping members may be forced inward into locking engagement with the rail braces and into engagement with said shim.

11. The combination with a rail and a shim, of a bed-plate, means for permanently securing the bed-plate to a sub-structure, clamping members supported upon the bedplate for lateral adjustment but held against vertical movement, and means for adjusting said clamping members laterally to engage the shim without disturbing the bed plate securing means.

12. A rail chair including a bed-plate having an abutment and provided with a seat adapted to receive a rail, a downwardly and outwardly inclined rail brace, a rail clamping member bearing against the rail brace and having interlocking engagement with the abutment, whereby the clamping member is held from vertical movement, and means cooperating with the clamping member and abutment for adjusting the clamping member and rail brace to shift the rail laterally with respect to its seat.

13. A rail chair including a bed-plate having a seat adapted to support a rail and provided with an abutment, means for permanently securing the bed-plate to a substructure, a laterally adjustable clamping member having interlocking engagement with the abutment whereby the clamping member is held against vertical movement, and means extending transversely through the clamping member and co-acting with the abutment for adjusting said clamping member laterally to shift the rail with respect to its seat without disturbing the bedplate securing means.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST G. LIEBMANN. [L. s.] Witnesses:

WILLIAM Nnss, W. H. MALONEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

